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Leandra LaRonde
Professor Rines
UWRT 1100
7 February 2015
A Genre Theorem: Feminist Poetry
What is feminist poetry? Before delving into this genre I must first explain the word
feminism. Feminism by definition is: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality
of the sexes. Feminist poetry is a genre that came about during the feminist movement of the

Commented [TN1]: Source?

1960s. In this time many writers came forth such as Audrey Lorde, Adrienne Rich and Anne

Commented [TN2]: You may need a source for this

sentence as well.

Waldman to bring this genre to the forefront. M any feminist poets would use as historical models

Commented [TN3]: Are these 3 women known for a

specific poem of theirs? P erhaps talk about what they did to
bring the genre to the forefront.

for understanding an outline today. Feminist poetry is identified as having very recognizable
features such as romanticism and personal lyric (Feminist M easures, 5). Through the discourse
mode of narrative, authors use this genre to explore the female experience that is most times in
the first-person (Feminist M easures, 5). Common core features of feminist poetry draw from the
discussion of female sexuality, the cycles of the female body, female friendships and familial
relations, and the consequences of womens oppression in patriarchy (Feminist M easures, 5).
All of these features are schemas under one concept of social awareness and self-realization
(Napikoski, Feminist Poetry). This genre has a wide reaching audience. It touches women and
girls of all ages as well men. It is a common misconception that men must be left out in the topic
of feminist but in actuality I believe they are just as important of an audience as women.
From this genre, there has been a bias toward one specific kind of feminist poetry that
limits the wide umbrella that this concept covers. Some audiences believe that a feminist poem
must come from women solely to truly convey the experiences that women go through. Though

Commented [TN4]: I reread this sentence about 10 times,

Im still not sure what its supposed to say.

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women are definitely an authority on this genre, there are many things to be discussed and
addressed that can be based from the male point of view. M ale feminist poet Charles Bernstein
shows that men can in fact write in this genre with his poetic collections such as Girly M an
where he addresses the patriarchal automaton that is current society. Another bias of feminist
poetry is the idea that feminist poetry is angry or meant to bash things that the authors do not
agree with. Though feminist poetry can come from a place of anger, it is not limited to such.
That is why this genre is also argumentative. In the poem Is/Not by M argaret Atwood she
argues the definition common ideas in society such as sex and love. Atwood makes this
argument in her poem saying that:
Love is not a profession/ genteel or otherwise/ sex is not dentistry/ the slick filling of
aches and cavities/ you are not my doctor/ you are not my cure/ nobody has that power/
you are merely a fellow traveler/ Give up this medical concern/ buttoned, attentive/
permit yourself anger/ and permit me mine/ which needs neither/ your approval nor your
surprise/ which does not need to be made legal/ which is not against a disease/ but against
you/ which does not need to be understood/ or washed or cauterized/ which needs

This poem shows that feminist poetry can argue a point without conforming to the common

Commented [TN5]: I thought this page was very well

written, no comments on content, only format. Im not 100%
sure the correct format for block quotes like this, but I feel
like it needs to stand out more that its a quote.

follies of what is thought to be the only form of feminist poetry.

Maybe single spaced, italics, right (and left) 0.5 indent.

instead/ to be said and said/ Permit me the present tense.

Feminist poetry is derived from a poets of the past and has influenced modern day poets
like Daphne Gottlieb who wrote the poetry novel Why Things Burn. In this collection, Gottlieb
touches on issues such as sexuality, lesbian issues, rape, and urban life. Although the topics of
today have evolved, her works still hold true to the Feminist Genre. This poetry is very relevant
to the 21st century woman and the experiences females of today go through.

Trying to go off memory. Just a thought.

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This genre not only uses the discourse mode of narrative to accomplish its purpose. It
also uses modes such as description, information, and argument. M aya Angelou, a famous
feminist poet, wrote one of the most influential poems in the feminist genre titled Phenomenal
Woman. In this poem she celebrates femininity and highlights the traits of a phenomenal
woman. This poem uses the mode of narrative as well as description to give her account of the
female experience. Angelou enlists the mode of narrative as well as description. The audience
of this poet is trying to reach is females but more specifically necessarily aware of the power that

Commented [TN6]: Discourse mode? P ersonal preference

I suppose I did know what you were talking about. All
depends on your intended audience I guess.
Also you said this in the sentence just prior to this one.

lies within them. In reaching the audience the poem has also exemplified what feminist poetry is.

Commented [TN7]: Reread this sentence. I understood

what you were trying to say, its just worded strange.

In Daphne Gottliebs poem Kissing with the Lights On she gives a personal narrative
on intimacy with a male over a period time. This poem is a prime example of feminist poetry
discussing sexuality and the female body. The features of this poem are ultimately shaped by its
purpose to give an account of what it is like to be a woman in this situation. It is not the clich
account that may be found in any poem about the poor girl being fooled by men. It gives a sort
of empowering account that is very characteristic of feminist poetry. The author takes what is
usually seen as the more patriarchal role and gives the female the control of the situation.
Feminist poetry is a genre that not only gives an account on how women think, feel, and,
experience but it also showcases the history of womens role in poetry. It is embodied by its core
features from style to topic to form to through various discourse modes to get across the ultimate

Commented [TN8]: Wording a little off.

goal of social awareness and self-realization. Like author Kathleen Crown once stated in her

from style to topic to form and various discourse modes

which help get across

critical essay Poetry, Feminism, and the Public Sphere:

These critical accounts of the dramatic outpouring of poetry by women since the 1960s
give us new and deeply historical models for understanding this particularly decisive

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entry of poetry into the public domain. They also offer an opportunity for estimating
poetry's past and potential contributions to the construction of a "feminist counter public
sphere" as an ideal discursive space, and for assessing how effectively feminist critics
have been able to juggle the intricate public sphere questions of aesthetics and politics,
access and context, audiences and institutions.

Commented [TN9]: Same as the other block quote, check

on formatting.
Overall I thought this paper was very well written. It flowed
very well and I didnt have the what are they talking about?
feeling. Just a couple minor tweaks here and there. Works
Cited page obviously needed.
Im assuming the two block quotes were two of your sources,
did you talk about a third? (No works cited page to infer this
on my own)
Also a conclusion is needed, there are three questions at the
end of the GA assignment sheet that werent answered.
Great job on this.